Warning over secondary school application deadline

Parents and guardians will be notified of their child's allocated school place in March

The deadline to apply for secondary school places in September is days away, West Midlands councils are warning parents.

Allocations for the current 2025-26 year varied in the region - Wolverhampton had the lowest proportion of first-choice allocations at 71% followed by Birmingham on 73%, while Herefordshire and Staffordshire were highest on 92%.

Across England, the average was 84%, the Department for Education (DfE) said.

City of Wolverhampton Council said applying before the midnight on Friday deadline "will give you the best chance of securing a place at a preferred school".

How do I apply for a secondary school place?

Application details can be found on the website of the local council where you live, even if you want to apply for a school in a different authority.

This year's process is for children who turn 12 between 1 September 2026 and 31 August 2027.

Councils manage the process across their area, but individual schools set their own admissions policies.

The Shropshire Council site urges people to check whether they are in the catchment area for their preferred schools and understand admission arrangements for them.

It added: "If you're naming schools outside Shropshire on your Shropshire application, you'll need to contact the appropriate local authority for the information on school admission arrangements in their area."

City of Wolverhampton Council said anyone needing help was invited to a final application surgery at the Civic Centre, St Peter's Square, on Thursday from 10:00 GMT.

It stated applying before the deadline "will give you the best chance of securing a place at a preferred school", adding about 85% of families had submitted their application by Tuesday.

Herefordshire Council warned "late applications could result in not being offered a place in a preferred school".

How are school places allocated?

The DfE said some schools would receive more applications than they had places available.

"Priority must be given to those who most closely meet the school's published admission arrangements," it added.

The Good Schools Guide said on its page about applying for a secondary school place that when a school had received more applications than offers, criteria like these typically applied.

However, it warned they may be in a different order, with more or fewer in particular schools.

• Children with an EHCP (education, health and care plan) who have named the school

• Looked after/previously looked after children (those who are in the care of the local authority social services)

• Children with siblings already in the school

• Exceptional medical or social need.

• Distance from the school

Earlier this year, the DfE said it had announced £195m to provide both primary and secondary places for 2025, and £520m for places in 2026, to make sure there were enough school places.

Can I appeal against a decision?

Families will find out in March where they have been offered a place.

The DfE said parents or carers who wanted to appeal should first contact the school's admission authority, which was responsible for organising an appeal panel.

Parents and carers can find their school's admission authority by visiting their local council website.

The DfE added the panel was independent and would look at the case presented by the admission authority and the parent.

What about primary schools?

A similar process is under way for children born between 1 September 2021 and 31 August 2022 to start primary school next September.

However, the deadline for these applications is 15 January.